Grey Eagle and Anheuser-Busch will be hosting a Gourmet Beer Dinner at Pujols 5 on Monday, October 12 at 6:30PM. This will be a five course dinner featuring Anheuser brewmaster George Reisch. Tickets will be $35 and are available by calling 314-878-6767. See the image below for more details about the dinner.

Since I handle the specialty brands at our wholesaler I incorporate some of those brands into the dinner. I am giving away 2 tickets on STLHOPS Mike should be posting it soon. Our Brewmaster George Reisch has been traveling the world the past month and half ending in Dnever judging at the GABF. I will have a beer list from him hopefully by thursday.

Here are the pairings
Leffe Blonde with the shrimp
Budweiser with the beer cheese soup
Shock Top with the pasta-the noodles are actually boiled in Shock Top
Bud Light Golden Wheat with the chicken
The new RyePA with the tenderloin
Michelob Porter with the chocolate brownie
I know there are some basics however the Bud soup is out of this world

Dear Dave,
I personally know how much time and effort (work) goes into planning an event such as a beer dinner, from the unique perspectives of retailer, brewery rep and wholesaler.

And, now qualms about it, A-B and their wholesalers are excellent at what they do. And, I have the utmost respect for this.

However, I think one major issue for beer enthusiasts, myself included, is when A-B’s “specialty” beers are treated as a commodity, like the rest of the portfolio. For instance, I used to love beers such as Leffe and Hoegaarden; and, enjoyed them very much in Europe. But, when they are no longer treated and presented with proper reverence; and, become available in every supermarket and at every A-B-loyal bar, they seem to lose their “special-ness”. EG, when Leffe is sold into an on-premise account, is the importance of using the proper glassware emphasized; is it sold in with passion about the story and the history of the beer; or, does the buyer simply purchase it because his A-B rep is asking him to buy another bottle from him?

Moreover, with brands like Shock Top and Amberbock, what exactly makes these beers “specialty” anyway? Where’s the authenticity that deems these beers “specialty”? Not knocking the brewing expertise that goes into making these beers; it is not even a contest between my level of brewing knowledge and theirs. But, can anyone easily define what is an “Amber Bock”; and when Shock Top is marketed by a guy with an orange mohawk driving a logo-wrapped VW Bug, what is “craft” about that? In this regard, I’d say that Bud American Ale hit its mark compared to these examples.

Are these brands promoted by the usual Bud Girl tactics where scantily clad women stand around and look good, but can not articulate anything about the beer? Many of today’s consumers require more authenticity than this.

Not knocking the local A-B distribs, because again, I truly respect what you guys do well. But, I have seen A-B distribs in other markets who sell truly authentic craft and import beers in their portfolio, whose portfolios are not solely limited to that of the corp A-B selection; and, these guys approach their specialty beers with reverence and passion. They present the story of the beer with passion, insist on using the proper glassware, etc.

In all sincerity, I am not trying to be harsh here.

Best of luck to you and your beer dinner. Honestly, the more of these types of events that all of us in the biz do will help raise the profile of beer; and, that is good for all of us.

Wouldn’t the situation you described with Leffe and Hoegaarden within A-B distributors be similar to brands like Leinenkugel and Pilsner Urquell at the Miller distros? Doesn’t going in a Miller house make it easier for brands Big Sky and Breckenridge to automatically get shuffled into the set over better products?

Red,
You are absolutely correct in your correlation of Miller distribs and Leine’s. I think that Pilsner has somehow retained its authenticity. But, with Leine’s, I think they have bastardized themselves in a similar manner to Shock Top, with their Fruity Pebbles flavors, that in some cases come very close to trademark infringement on beers from other breweries with similar names. (By the way, I am not an attorney, just a lay observer.)

You are also correct that any brand in a Miller house has an easier time in gaining chain distribution than brands from a niche wholesaler–Big Sky and Magic Hat being good examples.

But, one experience that brands such as Boulevard or Sierra Nevada or (pick your independent craft brewer here) have in common whether they are sold through a Miller distributor, or through one of the true craft-passionate A-B distribs I referred to is that they do not lose any authenticity/ organic support because of their choice in wholesaler. Of course, though, Red Hook, Widmer, Goose Island and Kona do seem to suffer from their affiliation; but, their affiliation is deeper than just their wholesaler network. On the contrary, craft breweries who are sold through BMC affiliated wholesalers, but are still independently owned, seem to enjoy the best of both worlds at times–they gain broad distribution, but retain their autonomy and uniqueness.

To the beer geeks who are not necessarily into the beer pairings, at least go hear George Reisch. He is a phenomenal public speaker, an amazing brewmaster, and a great guy all around. Just hearing George talk about beer is well worth your $35.